Thermic siphon for locomotives



July 31, 1928.

J. L. NICHOLSON THERMIC SIPHON FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Feb. 21. 1922 0 o OO 0 0 O o O O 0 O O FIG. 3

INVENTOR Patented July 31; 1928. V

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFIUZ.

JOHN L. NICHOLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 LOCOMOTIVE FIREBOXCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

THERMIC SIPHON FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed February 21, 1922. Serial No. 538,411.

My invention relates to improvements 'upon, or more accurately speaking,a modification of the so-ealled Nicholson thermic siphon, which isdescribed and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,337,720, grantedApril 20, 1920. The original thermic siphon is made by folding the sheetfrom end to end over a mandrel or the like, which gives the siphon abottom line which is substantially straight from end to end. My presentpurpose is to provide a thermic sip-hon which shall make it possible toprovide a given firebox with a greater sum total of heating surface thanis possible with the siphon in its original form. To accomplish thispurpose I depart from, the original method of siphon formation andtruncate the upper rear end of the siphon, giving it at that point, agently curved upward direction to meet the crown sheet of the firebox.This and other features of my invention will be readily understood on"referring to the accompanying drawings; and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a locomotive boilercontaining one or more thermic siphons embodying the present invention;Fig. 2 a vertical cross section thereof on theline 2.2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a topview of the firebox; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional viewsubstantially on the irregular section line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5

is a side view of the portions shown in Fig. 4t; Fig.-6 is a top viewthereof. It will beunderstood that it is the practice to apply thermicsiphons to locomotive fireboxes of all kinds and sizes. They areintended to increase the heating surface of a firebox and to cause agreatcirculation of water in the boiler, the extent of such cir-.

culation being dependent upon the firebox temperature and the area ofthe heating surface presented by the siphon. In designing thermicsiphons for fir'eboxes of short lengths and relatively great depth, astrictly triangular form cannot be maintained in. the firebox and yetsecure all of the added heating surface that is desirable. By thispresent invention I overcome that difiiculty.

In Fig. 1 the bottom line of the standard thermic siphon is representedby the dotted line 2, with which the full lines of the modified formshouldbe compared. The bottom or bulging portion 3 of the thermic siphon1, corresponds to the standard siphon. Likelines persist in the topflange 8 of the siphon as clearly shown in Fig. 3. j p The gently curvedrear corner 7 does. not

interrupt the upward and rearward flow of water through the siphon, (thewater enters throughthe siphon neck 4), and hence any solids containedin the boiler water areswept upward and discharged through the topopening 4: of the siphon. However, for greater assurance in the matterof keeping that portion of the siphon clean. li'prefer to employ, andhere provide, a valved blowoff pipe 9, as well shown in Fig. 1, one end9 of the same hanging within the rear end of the siphon in position toexhaust any solids that may accumulate there.

corresponds in form to the flue sheetfi, of

As will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art, the welded joints orseams of the siphons should always be protected by closely adjacent'rows of stay bolts 15, as best shown in .Figs. 1 and 5.

This invention is of an extremely simple nature, but of considerableimportance in the practical results which may be obtained through itsemployment.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A thermic siphon having an angularly disposed bottom portion and asubstantially upright front end, the rear end of said siphon beingtruncated to extend substan tially parallel with said front end andmerging .into said angularly disposed bottom portion in a curve of adesired radius.

2. A thermic siphon formed from a single sheet of material folded alonga predetermined line to form -an-angularly dis osed bottom portion andtwo parallel space side walls, the front and rear marginal parts ofwhich are offset inwardly toward each other and are welded together toform substanti ally parallel front and rear ends of different heights.

3. A locomotive firebox comprising in combination with a thermic siphonhaving substantially parallel with said front end,

and merging into said angularly disposed bottom portion in a curvedline, and a blow pipe having a leg within the siphon and arrangedadjacent said truncated rear end thereof.

4. A locomotive firebox embodying therein a thermic siphon having aninclinedbottom portion and front and rear ends, the upper rear end beingtruncated and of a depth less than that of the front end and mergingwith the bottom portion upon a curved line. i I 5. A thermic siphonhaving an upwardly and rearwardly inclined bottom, a substantiallyupright front end and a truncated rear end which is disposed at an angleto the bottom and merges thereinto.

6..A thermic siphon comprising a flat tubular body having a'substantially horizontal elongated open top and having an inclinedclosed bottom which merges into a tubular neck, the front end of thebody being substantially upright andthe rear end -thereof beingrelatively shorter than the front end and joining the bottom by arounded corner.

-being bounded by an 7. A thermicv siphon comprising a fiat tubular bodyhaving a substantially hOIlzontal elongated open top and having' aclosedbulged bottom portion, which terminates in a tubular neckextension, the front and rear ends of the body beingclosed and the rearend being shorter than the front end portion by a and merging into thebottom rounded corner.

81A thermic siphon having an angularly disposed closed integral bottomand a substantially upright front end, the rear end of the siphon beingalso substantially upright, said front and rearends being closed byfastening together edges of the sheet, at least'in part, and saidfastened edges of the rear end being of less extent than the fastenededges of the front end.

9. A sheet metal thermic siphon having a closed bottom and an open topthe open top integral flange, said siphonhaving a substantially uprightfront end closed by fastening together edges of the sheet,.said fastenededges continuing into the top flange and the line of saidfastened ed eportions in the flange extending at an ang e to the longitudinal axis ofthe siphon.

ture.

J QHN L. NICHOLSON.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa-

